01 Tiger Valve Adjustment queries...

[gilly527]

I have a 2001 Tiger with about 44000 miles on it. The previous owner really buggered up a lot of stuff on the bike so I have been slowing going round everything and checking/fixing everything. I am now finally getting to the valve adjustments which I have no record of them ever being done but I didn't get any record of anything when I got the bike.

I have measured the gap of all the valves and double checked them all. On the intake side they are all within the tolerance, however, most are at the extremes of the tolerances. Most of them are tight, the gap being at the low limit of .1 mm, but a couple are at the high limit at .15 mm with only one of the 6 measuring in the middle at .13 mm (the tolerance is .1 - .15 mm). I have the same deal on the exhaust side (except one of them is actually out of tolerance to the low side).

My big question is do the valves on our tigers wear tighter or looser over time? My thinking is that they would wear tighter over time but I want to check. If this is the case then I'm thinking of shimming all my valves within the tolerances but on the high side... And if I am wrong and they wear looser over time then I will shim them at the tight end of the tolerance.

All input is welcome! Thanks!

[Mustang]

shim them  from middle to the high side and you will be good for many thousands of miles

[gilly527]

Ok, that's kinda what I was figuring.

Also, I am planning on taking the timing chain tensioner out etc. and removing the cams to do the valve adjustment as I can't justify spending the $90 or so on the took that triumph have. For talking with friends I have heard that the tool that triumph have is kinda crappy anyway, and taking all that stuff off isn't too hard anyway and by the time the cams are off I figure that it will actually be quicker?

Has anyone have any first hand experience with this to verify this for sure/ or is the triumph tool worth the money?

[John Stenhouse]

You can get a valve tool from Mustang, much better idea. 

[Mustang]

if you are only doing a few shims the tool is quicker ................if you want to mix and match and redo all 12 shims pulling the cams is quicker.

However , there is always a but and/or however, it's really easy to get the cams timing off by one tooth . It'll still run  but not quite right .

[gilly527]

I just took the cams off here tonight. I'm doing the math here on what all to do for shimming her. All the thicknesses had worn off the shims so I used a micrometer and am now just finding out that they make the shims in increments of 0.05 mm...

What I am now finding is that if I shim her how I was thinking of shimming her I may make her gaps a slight bit over the max gap... Most of my gaps are at the low end of the tolerance but if I shim her I'll be slightly too big by like 0.01 mm... is this worth worrying about or would it be better to leave her as she is now?

[Mustang]

if they fall in spec leave them be .
also triumph isn't the only ones that use 25mm shims
but your being too anal about it
in spec is just fine on these motors whether it is the high , middle or even the low side

[Fe Man]

You can get a valve tool from Mustang, much better idea. 

Ditto, I have the tool and it works great!

[gilly527]

I'm about to put the cams back on, the book says to lubricate the can hold down screws with engine oil!? Should red thread lock not be used instead? What have people been doing here?

[metalguru]

The screws should first be cleaned, petrol is good, then dryed in a clean rag/towel. The tapped holes need cleaning as well, best with an air-line, but if not available then clean rag.
Just a smear of clean oil on the threads and under the head.
Too much oil on the threads can cause the screws to hydraulic in the holes and give a false reading on the torque wrench. In very extreme cases can crack the casting.

[gilly527]

So no red thread lock at all then, wow, that surprises me! At least it will make them easier to come off next time... they had threadlock on them when I pulled them off and I was a pain in the butt! Which didn't bother me too much I guess since I don't want them coming loose when I'm riding.

[metalguru]

May pay to run a plug tap down the holes GENTLY to clean out the threadlock just to be on the safe side.
Triumph seem a bit paranoid about fixings coming undone!!!
If the fixing is set to the correct torque there is no reason for them to shift.

[gilly527]

Got everything cleaned up and put back on, the cams sure like to jump a tooth when you're torquing them down though, a bit more difficult than aircraft engines that's for sure! I'm just waiting on gaskets now.